Meengla
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I think a lot of problems in the world happen because most of us human beings take a path of least resistance and mostly swallow what the mass media says. And I think it would be good here and in other new Topics to give our own personal experiences which help us break any media-influenced stereotypes we have built in our heads.
I will start out with my own recent account. It is about Mexicans.
Having lived in the States for two decades I had developed a very negative views about Mexicans. I thought they were lazy, violent, cheaters etc. This was no doubt from the American media and from the society here in America.
But my American wife and I recently made a 4-day vacation to Cancun, Mexico. We were both--she more than me--were bracing for 'the Mexicans' and were cautioned by friends and family that we better just stay in our resort.
I am not that kind of a person who misses out on mingling with 'the locals' wherever I am. If I were to get drunk, swim in a pool, and dance in nightclub etc then I could do that right here in America. And so we chose to 'mingle' with the locals in Mexico as much as possible.
Boy, I am glad we did that! While the resort staff was very nice--they had to be, for obvious reasons. It is the 'average Mexicans' in poor localities' shops, on cheap local-people ferry rides, in public buses who made me shatter the decades-old stereotypes of them.
They were warm, friendly, helping, curious, engaging, and, above all, genuine people who smiled only because they felt like smiling or frowned if they felt to. They distinctly reminded me of genuine human beings. Sadly, I don't see them in that proportion in America anymore.
I will start out with my own recent account. It is about Mexicans.
Having lived in the States for two decades I had developed a very negative views about Mexicans. I thought they were lazy, violent, cheaters etc. This was no doubt from the American media and from the society here in America.
But my American wife and I recently made a 4-day vacation to Cancun, Mexico. We were both--she more than me--were bracing for 'the Mexicans' and were cautioned by friends and family that we better just stay in our resort.
I am not that kind of a person who misses out on mingling with 'the locals' wherever I am. If I were to get drunk, swim in a pool, and dance in nightclub etc then I could do that right here in America. And so we chose to 'mingle' with the locals in Mexico as much as possible.
Boy, I am glad we did that! While the resort staff was very nice--they had to be, for obvious reasons. It is the 'average Mexicans' in poor localities' shops, on cheap local-people ferry rides, in public buses who made me shatter the decades-old stereotypes of them.
They were warm, friendly, helping, curious, engaging, and, above all, genuine people who smiled only because they felt like smiling or frowned if they felt to. They distinctly reminded me of genuine human beings. Sadly, I don't see them in that proportion in America anymore.
